Improvement in combined cotton-planters and guano-distributers



N-PETEHS. PHOTmLITMOGRAPHR. WASHINGTON, o c.

tacita itic JOHN H. NIOHOLES, OF SUMTEB,A SOUTH CAROLINA.

. Letters Patent No. 112,169, dated February 28,1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED COTTON-PLANTERS AND GUANO-DISTRIBUTEVRS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thelame.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, JOHN H. NIcnoLns, ofSumter, inthe District of Sumter and State of South Carolina, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Gom- Vbined Cotton-Planter andGuano-Distributor; and

Figure 3 is a detail view of the device for adjusting the sizeof thedischarge-openings. Similar letters of reference indicate correspondingparts.

My invention hasfor its object to furnish animproved machine forplanting cotton-seed and distrib'- uting guano, which shall be simple inconstruction, e'ective and reliable in operation, and convenient in use;and

It consists in the construction and combination of the various parts ofthe machine, as hereiuat'ter more fully described. v

. A are the wheels which revolve upon the journals of the axle B, andare made to carry the said axle with them in their forwardmovemeut bythe clutches C, which slide upon the axle B and take hold of the innerends ofthe hubs of the said wheels, said clutches 'being so formed as toallow the wheels to turn backward without carrying the axle with them.

The axleB revolves in bearings `attached to the frame D, which framerides upon the said axle, and

with it are connected the other parts of the machine.

- The clutches O are operated to throw them into andlout of gear with4the wheels A by the levers E,

whicnare pivoted to the sidebars of the frame D, and the forked rearends of which ride in groovesA in the clutches O.

The forward parts of the levers E rest upon the projecting ends of thecross-bar Fattached to the forward part of the frame D, and the ends ofwhich are turned upward to serveI as stops to the said levers E. 'lheforward ends of the levers Eare pivoted to the outer ends of the shortbars G, which slide in keepers attached to the forward part of the frameD, and the inner ends of which are bent upward and slightlyincliuedoutward or from each other to form a Vor wedge-shaped space or openingbetween them to receive the wedge or V-shaped block, bywhich the saidslides G are 'pu shed apart to withdraw the clutches C from the wheelsA.

When the slides G are released the clutches C are forced outward toagain take hold of the wheels A'by the springs H, which are attachedtothe side-bars of the frame D, and the free ends of which press againstthe inner sides of the rear parts of the lcversE, as shown in fig. 2. A

lo the axle B is attached a gear-wheel, I, the teeth of which mesh intothe teeth of the gear-wheel J attached to the projecting end of the,shaft K, which revolves in bearings in the sides of the hopper L, whichis connected with and supported from the frame D, and which is dividedinto two compartments by the partition M, one of said compartments beingdesigned to receive the cotton-seeds and the -other to receive theguano. f

' To the shaft K are attached two wheels N, one upon each side of thepartition M, which wheels are thus revolved by the advance ofthemachine. The wheels N are toothed, and one or more of said teeth areprolonged or bent over, as shown in figs. 1 and 2, so as' to keep thesubstances in the hopper stirred up and fed to the discharge-openings. vl

The size of the discharge openings in the bottom of the hopper' areregulated by slides 0, operated by swiveled hand-screws P, as shown iniig. 3.

Q are the plow-beams, the forward ends of which meet at an angle, aresecured to each other, and are pivoted to the forward part of the frameD by an eye bolt or other convenient means.

To the rear ends of the beams Q are attached the plow/standards R, thedraft-strain upon which is lsustained by the brace-rods S, the rear endsof' which are attached to the lower parts of the said standards R, andthe forward ends of which are attached to the beams Q.

To the lower ends of the standards R are attached the plows T that throwup the bed or r'idge'to receiveV the seed.

The standards R are connected by a bar, U, to the middle part of whichis attached a small plow, V, to open afurrow to receive the seed, saidplow being so arranged as to be a little in the rear of and midwaybetween the plows T.

XV is the spout that conducts the guano to the ground. The spout W ispivoted at its upper end over the discharge-opening from the hopper L,so that its lower end may be'raised from the ground when desired. Thelower part ef the guano-spout W is inclined or bent forwardto conductthe guano-to the ground in front of the plows T, so that the guano maybe covered by the soil thrown up by the said plows in forming the bed orridges.

X is a bent rod or wire loop, which passes around the rear side of thespout W, and the ends of which are connected with the plow-beams Q, sothat the lower end of the said spout may be raised from the ground-byraising the said beams.

Yis the spout, through which the cotton-seed is' conducted to theground. "Iihe'spoutYis made in sections, shuttingintoeach other somewhatin the manner of a telescope. The upper section of' the spoutis'attached to the hopper L, and the lower section is attached to therear side of the small plow V, so that the spout Y will be closed orcontracted by raising the theploW-beains, and-opened or extended bylowering said beams. i The different sections of' the spout Y may beconnected to each other to keep them in their proper relative positionsby chains, links, or other-flexible connections.

Z is the covering-block, the lower edge of which is concaved to give thedesired form to the top of the ridge.

-The coverer Z is attached to the rear ends of' the bars A', the forwardends of which are pivote'd to the rear parts of the plow-beams Q. The'bars A' passA above the bar U, so that the coverer may be raised fromthe ground by'raising the plow-beams Q.

B is a roller or shaft, the journals oi' which work in" The forward endof the bar C which projects above and in front of theshaft B has a wedgeor V-shaped.

block, D', attached to it, and so arranged that when the shaft B isoperated to raise the plow-beams the wedge or V-sbaped block D will belowered and forced into the wedge or V-shaped space between the innerends .of the 4sliding-bars G to withdraw the clutches from the Wheels,so that the machine will be thrown out of and into gear by thesngleoperation of raising the plow-beams from andlowering them to theground.

To one endl of the shaft B. is attached a lever, E', the upper end ofwhich projects upward into such a position that it may be convenientlyreached. by the driver.

The shaft B is held in any position into which it may be adjusted by thelever-pawl F', the forward or engaging end of'which takes hold of aratchet-wheel, Gf, attached to or formed upony the end part of the shaftB21 The rear end of the pawl F projects so that it may be operatedby--the driver with hisA yfoot to release the shaft B'.

The depth at which the plows work in the ground is regulated by the barH', which passes beneath the plow-beams'Qnd the ends of which are bentupward pass through the side bars of the frame D, and have screw-threadscut upon their said upper ends to receive the hand-nuts l', so that byturning thenuts I up or down the bar H will be lowered or raised tolimit the downward movement of the plow-beams Q to the desired point.

l Having. thus described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure lby Letters Patentbar C D', bars G,levers E,- clutches C C, wheels A, shaft B, gears I J, and stirrers N,all arranged to operate substantially as shown and described.

2. The spouts W Y, coverer Z, plows Q B T, shaft B', lever E, pawl-leverF', and ratchet G', all arranged vas specified. Y

3. The shaft B', lever E', bar C D', sliding bars G, levers E, clutchesG, wheels A, axle B, gears I J, shaft K, stirring-wheels N, and hopperL, all constructed and arranged as specified.

JOHN HENRY NICHOLES. Witnesses:

GEO., E. TAYLOR, R. S. BRADWELL..

.,l. .'lhe combination of the plows Q R T, shaft-B',

